Outback Queensland Visitor's Guide

Enjoy wide open spaces and big skies in Outback Queensland, where you can follow in the tracks of dinosaurs, meet larger-than-life outback characters, cheer on a field of racing camels and sleep under a blanket of stars.

Things to Do in Outback Queensland

Year of the Outback

2019 marks The Year of Outback Tourism making it the perfect time to visit and attend one of the world-class events on offer. Experience Australia’s best live events in Queensland.

Dig up a dinosaur

Follow the dinosaur trail around Winton to see the world’s only site of a dinosaur stampede, and work on newly found dinosaur bones in a fossil lab.

Walk on the wing of a plane

Go behind the scenes and take a wing walk on a 747 in Longreach, birthplace of Qantas, and learn about Australia's heritage at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame.

See the sky on fire

The sunsets are bigger and better in the Outback – watch the sky light up from the top of Big Red, the highest dune in the Simpson Desert.

Take an outback road trip

Kick up some dust on a road trip along one of outback Queensland’s themed adventure drives or famous bush tracks and who knows the locals you'll meet.

Explore epic landscapes

It’s not all dust and dunes, Outback Queensland is home to national parks and gorges, too. Highlights include the sandstone-surrounded Lawn Hill Gorge in Boodjamulla National Park and its neighbouring Adels Grove campground.

Start Exploring

Places to visit

Pull up a stool at the bar of any Outback pub and it won’t take long before you’re learning all about real life in the Australian bush. One of the best bits about travelling in the Outback is the characters you’ll meet. And the hats they wear.

Mount Isa

Take an underground mine tour in Mount Isa, cheer on the cowboys at the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest rodeo, see World Heritage-listed fossil fields and paddle an outback oasis.

Birdsville

Join in the fun of Australia’s most famous outback horseracing carnival, have a beer at Australia’s most iconic pub and taste test a camel pie in Birdsvillle.

Winton

See where Australia’s unofficial national anthem, Waltzing Matilda, was first performed, visit opal fields, see dinosaur skeletons and play a musical fence.

Longreach

Take a ride in a horse-drawn stagecoach at full gallop, discover Outback legends in Longreach, and enjoy a sunset cruise on the Thomson River, listening to tales of bushrangers and pioneering heroes.

Charleville

Tour the night sky at the Cosmos Centre in Charleville and meet endangered bilbies and the people trying to save them, but be warned, these little creatures are so cute they’ll probably steal your heart.

What’s on in Outback Queensland

From thrill-a-minute bronco riding to camel racing and even unique chicken and yabby races, outdoor movies and the world’s most remote music festivals, there’s always something happening in Outback Queensland. Check out the events calendar and plan your Outback adventure.

Where to stay in Outback Queensland

Spend a night in a historic pub, get a taste of life on a working cattle farm or sheep station, set up camp in a riverside caravan park, or roll out a swag and sleep under the stars in a national park. Remote doesn’t mean roughing it – there are accommodation options for every style and budget in Outback Queensland.

Getting there

By plane

Board a plane in Brisbane and you can stop in all the major outback towns – Charleville, Mount Isa, Birdsville, Blackall or Longreach.

By train

The Spirit of the Outback runs from Brisbane to Longreach, the Inlander from Townsville to Cloncurry and Mount Isa, the Westlander heads from Brisbane to Charleville, Cunnamulla and Quilpie, the Gulflander follows an historic old line from Croydon to Normanton in the Gulf, and the Savannahlander will whisk you west from Cairns to Forsayth.

By car

Hit the road: an Outback road trip is an adventure like no other, whatever road you take.

By bus

You can take long-distance buses from Rockhampton or Brisbane to Longreach and Winton, or from Townsville out to Mount Isa.

Transport from Outback Queensland airports

Taxis and shuttle buses can be thin on the ground in tiny Outback towns, so your best bet is hiring a car. Hire companies operate at most airports – except in Birdsville, where the airstrip is just across the road from the pub.

Getting around

Outback Queensland is a big place, best explored on four wheels – take your own for getting around, hire a campervan, or join a 4WD adventure tour. If you prefer to drive yourself, avoid being on the road at night when the chances of colliding with wildlife are high. Also, be careful of road trains – these large trucks can be the length of 10 cars, so you’ll need plenty of room to overtake.

Public transport in Outback Queensland

Aside from long-distance coaches and trains, there is no public transport in Outback Queensland.